Venus of Dolní Věstonice
The Venus of Dolní Věstonice ( ) is a Venus figurine, a ceramic statuette of a nude female figure dated to 29,000–25,000 BCE (Gravettian industry), which was found at a Paleolithic site in the Moravian basin south of Brno. Description This figurine, together with a few others from nearby locations, is the oldest known ceramic in the world, predating the use of fired clayThe body used is the local loess, with only traces of clay; there is no trace of surface burnishing or applied pigment. Pamela B. Vandiver, Olga Soffer, Bohuslav Klima and Jiři Svoboda, "The Origins of Ceramic Technology at Dolni Věstonice, Czechoslovakia", Science, New Series, 246, No. 4933 (November 24, 1989:1002-1008). to make pottery. It has a height of , and a width of at its widest point and is made of a clay body fired at a relatively low temperature. The palaeolithic settlement of Dolní Věstonice in Moravia, a part of Czechoslovakia at the time organized excavation began, now located in the Czech Republic, has been under systematic archaeological research since 1924, initiated by Karel Absolon. In addition to the Venus figurine, figures of animals – bear, lion, mammoth, horse, fox, rhino and owl – and more than 2,000 balls of burnt clay have been found at Dolní Věstonice. The figurine was discovered on 13 July 1925 in a layer of ash, broken into two pieces. Once on display at the Moravian Museum in Brno, it is now protected and only rarely accessible to the public. It was exhibited in the National Museum in Prague from 11 October 2006 till 2 September 2007 as a part of the exhibition Lovci mamutů (The Mammoth Hunters).Mammoth Hunters at the National Museum, information at the official website of the Czech RepublicPrimal Bohemia, The Prague Post, October 18, 2006Lovci mamutů, information on the web of the National Museum Now it is presented in the Moravian Museum in Brno at an expo "Prehistoric Art in Central Europe". It will return back to depository after June 2009.Venus of Dolní Věstonice and of Venus of Willendorf shown in Anthropos, Brno Now, June 26, 2009 Scientists periodically examine the statuette. A tomograph scan in 2004 found a fingerprint of a child estimated at between 7 and 15 years of age, fired into the surface; the child who handled the figurine before it was fired is considered by Králík, Novotný and Oliva (2002) to be an unlikely candidate for its maker. Gallery Image:Vestonicka venuse.jpg|Venus of Dolní Věstonice Image:Vestonicka venuse back.jpg|Venus of Dolní Věstonice (back) Image:Vestonicka venuse left.jpg|Venus of Dolní Věstonice (left side) Image:Vestonicka venuse right.jpg|Venus of Dolní Věstonice (right side) See also *Venus of Hohle Fels *Venus of Willendorf References ;Citations and notes ;General Information * National Geographic Society. Wonders of the Ancient World; National Geographic Atlas of Archaeology, Norman Hammond, Consultant, Nat'l Geogr. Soc., (Multiple Staff authors), (Nat'l Geogr., R.H.Donnelley & Sons, Willard, OH), 1994, 1999, Reg or Deluxe Ed., 304 pgs. Deluxe ed. photo (pg 248): "Venus, Dolni Věstonice, 24,000 B.C." In section titled: The Potter's Art, pp 246–253. External links * Overview * Pictures of Venus and other ceramic * Information and photos * Details and timeline Categoría:Venus paleolíticas cs:Věstonická venuše da:Venus fra Dolní Věstonice de:Venus von Dolní Věstonice es:Venus de Dolní Věstonice fr:Vénus de Dolní Věstonice nl:Venus van Dolní Věstonice pl:Wenus z Dolní Věstonice ru:Вестоницкая Венера sk:Věstonická venuša Dolni Vestonice Category:Pottery Category:Paleoart Category:Ceramics